Khain
by Akkiko
Summary: Graveyards, Death, Inhumane powers, these are everyday things for Khain. Zell, Squall and the others are about to find out what happens when you anger one of the most powerful souls in the heavens. But what is Khain's TRUE secret?
1. Khain equals pain

Chapter 1  
  
'Punch, dodge, kick, block, weave.' The endless drill ran over her mind so many times.  
  
'Punch, dodge, kick, block, weave.' Again, and again, and again, and again. One would suppose it got boring after a while, but for Khain, the drill was comforting, of the many things in this world that did change, this was probably the only thing that didn't. She sighed and went into the drill again.  
  
'Punch, dodge, kick, block, weave.' Her gloved hands punched through the air. A man watched her from the sidelines. He smiled inwardly. He stepped out into plain view.  
  
"Heyoes! What's up?" Khain looked at him sighing. There went her practice session.  
  
"What do you want Matsuki?" She demanded. He blanched and stopped. Glaring at her he scowled.  
  
"It's Mat okay? Call me Matsuki again, and I'll murder you myself." This sudden change of attitude was startling to most, but Khain was never fazed by anything. Matsuki didn't really know her well, he had just bumped into her yesterday and taken to annoying her, he didn't even know her name yet. Her hair was a deep red. Not the shiny kind, but a solid color. It was cut so short, it didn't even touch her shoulders, but it was past her ears. Her bangs were thick and messed up in the front, they went left, right and center, and her skin was pale. Her body was tall, she was fairly lean and she wore a plain shirt, a pale green one that had ragged sleeves, her pants were deep blue, the right knee had a hole and the bottom of the legs were ragged. Her shoes were a plain white scuffed with dirt. Mat was a deep green haired kid who had that same solid look, with a tan and freckles all over his face add to them a deep transparent pair of hazel eyes and he was the most unique kid you ever met. He had every right to be, he had a family, a home, and parents. He wore a nice pair of black jeans that fitted his lean body perfectly, his white shirt was clean and spotless. Around his waist he wore a brown belt which held a sword. He smiled and went back to happy mode.  
  
"Whatever. Anyway, we have that SeeD thing today so be ready. I can't believe it, you went to the fire cavern and got the spirit of Ifrit by yourself! And you were just a rookie! God, you'll probably whip us all today. I hope I'm on your team." Khain shrugged and went back to training, completely ignoring him. Mat shrugged and walked off.  
  
~~~  
  
"You'll be working with four members on your team, no less, maybe more. There will be 4 SeeDs accompanying you on this mission. Do your best, and if you fail, they'll get the job done." Xu explained. Mat listened with rapt attention, Khain ignored it all, boring, boring, yada, yada.  
  
"Okay, the teams are as follows. Since there are only 12 of you, you'll be working in 3 teams. Each team will consist of four members. Team A is John, Lyski, Coroura, and team leader is Sakura." John, a boy with watery eyes, a pimple marked face and a nervous look stepped out, Sakura a confident young girl with long brown hair done in a ponytail smiled. Lyski was a blonde haired nobody, and Coroura was a young man with reddish brown hair so long that it went into a braid, he had big round eyes and a look of pure innocence. He was short but lean. He looked only about 15.  
  
"Team B will be of Mat, Khain, Akemi and Sutta, the team leader is Khain." Khain nodded. Sutta was a girl with blonde hair and a thin body, a girl more obsessed with her hair then her enemy. Akemi was a young man with green eyes, brown hair cropped in ragged lines to his ears and an average height with a solid body.  
  
"Team C is Yumae, Inaba, Neko, and team leader is Koji." Yumae, a black haired girl with red eyes and a slim body. She seemed a little careless, but eyes showed determination and strength if needed. Inaba was a girl with long brown hair and a lean figure. Many of the guys looked her way. Neko was a scraggly teen with a very thin mustache and a head of messy black hair. Koji sighed and ran a hand through his blonde white hair and smiled, he winked at Khain who snorted. A pretty boy huh? Yumae looked her team over and sighed.  
  
"I'm done for." Khain looked at her own team, but ventured no comment of her own.  
  
"These are the SeeD who will be helping you." Xu said and waved a hand to the 4 behind her.  
  
"Hiya!" Selphie said grinning maniacally.  
  
"Hey there." Irvine said coolly.  
  
"S'up?" Zell said with a tiny salute.  
  
"Whatever." Squall muttered. A lot of people gulped when they saw him, they would be doing the test in front of the SeeD COMMANDER!! He was the best, and a lot of the teens looked watchful now. Most were sweating, Mat looked terrified, and Khain was looking at Squall from the corner of her eye.  
  
"Okay. Let's get to Balamb and there we'll meet up again. You have to be there by 0400 hours. 2 hours from now." At this a lot of people yawned. It was after all 2 am. Khain walked away, reading a small paper in her hand.  
  
'The Isle of Heath Peninsula, east of Trabia Garden has become overrun with soldiers of an unknown army and the Trabia Garden, which was just recently finished rebuilt has sent a request to Balamb Garden for help. There are not enough SeeDs there, as most were killed in the accident that occurred over 2 years ago. They are still in the midst of training more. The army wears a light blue uniform of deep blue pants and light blue shirts. Also a blue cap is worn over their heads and black boots on their feet. Can be known to use magic and guns mainly-' Her thoughts were interrupted by a hyper bit of chatter.  
  
"I can't believe that Squall will be going with us!" Sutta said grinning to her. Khain sighed. "He's like SOOOO hott!!" Mat grinned.  
  
"Well I don't know about that hott part, but I saw him fight with his Gunblade . . ." Mat whistled. "MAN! He was like lightening. He was in the training center, I saw him against a Gat. Chop, chop!" He said making two fast slicing gestures with his hands. "Gone like that!" Akemi snorted.  
  
"Take a breather, he's good but I doubt all those stories of him killing a great sorceress are true. I mean, come on." At this Khain smiled.  
  
'What a naïve brat.' She thought smiling.  
  
"HE DID SO KILL A SORCERESS!!" Mat yelled, Squall was nothing short of a heroic figure to him.  
  
"Then what was her name?"  
  
'Ultimecia . . .' Khain thought immediately. Then frowned, where had that thought come from?  
  
Silence.  
  
"See?" Akemi asked smirking and walked off. Khain stared after her, then shrugged to no one, she walked down the hallway into the parking lot and smiled as she pulled on a helmet and got onto her favorite thing in the world at the moment. Her bike, it was a shiny black motorcycle with 200 horse power. Not bad. She hopped on and kick started it.  
  
As the bike flew out of the garage she traveled along the road to Balamb.  
  
~~~  
  
Zell stared boredly around the van and heaved a sigh.  
  
"Zell? You okay?" Selphie asked looking at him, her eyes blinking slightly in a cute little way. Squall didn't reply. Irvine put his arm around Selphie and kissed her on the cheek. Zell smiled and made a gagging gesture. Selphie grinned and kissed Irvine back on the lips. Squall didn't do anything.  
  
'Squall and Rinoa have each other and their 1 year old son Tenshi. Selphie has Irvine and Quistis has Seifer, as odd as that is. And here I am, all alone. That's sad. God life is lonely.' Zell thought as he went back to gazing at the wall. Speaking of Seifer, the git had finally passed the SeeD exam, and when he learned that there was no secret, it made him fell worse about what he had done, odd as it was, let's just say that the cute little kid who had been a small bully but a great brother got control of Seifer after that whole Sorceress thingy. Then secretly, he and Quistis had eloped! God, Zell had freaked when he found out. How Quistis could go for Seifer, was something even he couldn't comprehend, and Zell had one hell of an imagination. Though, Seifer had been acting somewhat different, he had stopped making fun of Zell and Squall, he only called Zell a 'Chikenwuss' when he was joking, he always was protective of his childhood friends, and cared very well for the students of the school. It was like someone had warped his mind. As the car came to a screeching halt, the group clambered out of the van as Fuijin and Raijin waved to them from the driver's seat. Seifer stood on the dock waving his gunblade.  
  
"Hurry those asses up you slowpokes! We leave in 5 minutes whether you're on the ship or in the water!" Selphie couldn't help but giggle, Irvine allowed himself a small grin. Squall remained impassive while Zell looked at the boarding students. One person caught his eye. A boy with green hair and hazel eyes. An unusual combination. Zell looked beside the boy and saw a girl, she had solid red hair and blue eyes which were streaked silver, I literally mean streaked silver. It was as if her cat like pupils were outlined by silver. She looked at him once, and in that moment Zell was frozen, then she looked away and climbed into a boat. He shook his head and stared at the boat the girl had gone into.  
  
"Hey you guys! Get into a *beep*in boat and let's go!" Seifer yelled at them. Squall shrugged, Rinoa would've come to see how the SeeD candidates trained, but she had to take care of Tenshi. Quistis was off on a mission. Zell climbed into a boat where the girl had gone into and the hatch closed behind him. Squall, Irvine and Selphie got into another boat.  
  
~~~  
  
"When we get there, you've a bit of a walk to do, but keep low, we received word that there's a base on the alpha center of the Heath Peninsula. You're job is to get in Trabia Garden and stay there, waiting for orders. You are only to PROTECT the Garden, nothing more." Khain listened boredly, so what if she didn't become a SeeD? No big deal, she wanted to die anyway. Mat was listening, his eyes a little scared. Sutta was polishing her nails while Akemi leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, whether sleeping or concentrating, no one knew. Zell was sitting next to Khain. Once the briefing was done Mat turned to Zell.  
  
"So you were part of the team that Master Leonheart was on in his first mission huh? Must've been cool to fight beside Leon!" He said excitedly. Zell snorted.  
  
"Not really, that guy didn't say a thing to us! His moves were good, but if he were to face his past self right now, I think that past guy would lose." Mat's eyes widened. Sutta leaned forward grinning.  
  
"Really? So um, why does Leon like Mistress Rinoa?" Zell grinned and leaned back.  
  
"Well, he was supposedly just her protector at the start of the mission, but I heard he made her a promise to  
  
be there for her. Then he saved her from Ult- from someone in space, and then again when the Esthar took her away because she was a sor- because she was special. Then when Squall was hit fatally she saved his life. Kind of just was a thing meant to be." Zell said calmly. A few slips, when the gang had come back from that battle with Ultimecia, Headmaster Cid refused to let them tell of the true adventure. He said that it would terrify the students, Squall and friends agreed wholeheartedly, no one ever wanted to speak of this again. Instead, it was told that Squall and his friends had saved the Garden from the Galbadia garden, and it was left at that. Khain watched him from the corner of her eyes.  
  
"So is it true that you guys killed a Sorceress?" Akemi asked smirking. Zell hesitated, then shook his head.  
  
"Nope, just rumors." Akemi smiled knowingly.  
  
"Told you." Mat stuttered.  
  
"B-but it can't be true! You're lying to us!" He said turning to Zell. The blonde's heart went out to the boy, he hated to ruin faith, but he couldn't tell the truth could he?  
  
"Hey I just noticed something." Sutta said turning to Khain.  
  
'Oh boy. . . . .' She thought.  
  
"You haven't said a one word this whole trip!" Sutta said staring at her appalled. "What's wrong?"  
  
" . . . . . . . . . "  
  
"HEY!! HELLO?! You in there?" Sutta yelled.  
  
" . . . . . . . . . . "  
  
"What the-?"  
  
"Don't mind her, she's just like that." Mat said chuckling. Sutta gaped.  
  
"Sh-?!" She was cut off.  
  
"You know, I don't even know your names." Akemi said sitting up.  
  
"Mat Kuzaka."  
  
"Sutta Retto."  
  
"Akemi Matasuri."  
  
" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Khain."  
  
Everyone turned to her.  
  
"Khain . . . . .?" Sutta asked. Khain shook her head.  
  
"No last name." Zell turned his head to look at her.  
  
"Everyone has a last name." Mat scoffed. Khain shrugged. Zell snickered. Everyone looked at him.  
  
"You guys remind me so much of our group. Squall was silent like that on our test too. I was just as hyped up about as you." He said looking at Mat. "And Akemi reminds me of Seifer, always making fun of someone. You remind me of Selphie, though she wasn't on our team." He said looking at Sutta. Mat and Sutta smiled and looked at each other.  
  
"COOL!!"  
  
'Good god, when is this going to end?' Khain thought as she stared at Mat and Sutta. Zell stared awkwardly at her. She glared back.  
  
"Landing in two minutes!" The driver called out. Khain stood and brushed off her school uniform, she hated skirts, and walked around in a the boy's outfit. Most thought she was a boy because of her hair and outfit. She pulled something out of her pocket, a keychain with three little chains dangling off it and there were objects at the bottom. Diablos, was her first, he was the little black globe. Leviathan her second was the clear dark blue globe, and Ifrit was the red globe. She took one off the chain and attached it to her necklace. It glowed a pearly white for a second, then dimmed, she stuffed the chain under her shirt, it was the newest way of summoning GFs. Using hand marble sized globes was a lot easier. She took an earring out of her pocket and clipped it to one of her ears, it was a long earring, the string was made of a black silver material and the ornament was a golden star. It was so long, it reached her chin.  
  
"What's that?" Mat asked pointing at it.  
  
"Magic enhancer." She replied and walked to the front of the boat. Mat stared after her.  
  
"Well she's friendly." He replied sourly. Sutta shrugged.  
  
"Whatever." Akemi sighed.  
  
"Good god."  
  
~~~  
  
Zell stepped out of the boat and winced at the bright sun.  
  
"They'll have a hard time getting under cover in this light." He commented. Squall nodded.  
  
"Let's go." He said and walked off, Zell and friends in tow.  
  
~~~  
  
Khain punched a few times in the air to warm up, then walked up to her group.  
  
"Okay, we're splitting into two groups, four people will be too easy to spot. Akemi, I know you're egotistical, but you're smart, you go with Mat, I'll take Sutta and we'll rendezvous at Donning's Point. It was marked on the map as a small cave, about a mile's walk from Trabia Garden, understood? Keep out of sight, and stay off any sort of trial you find. Equip a GF to be safe. Now let's move." She ordered, Akemi nodded and trotted off, Mat following closely behind. Khain watched them go, and for a moment, felt a twinge of worry, she quickly pushed it away and trotted off in the same direction. Sutta followed, her gun drawn.  
  
~~~  
  
Zell watched Khain and her group split up,  
  
'Smart little girl' he thought calmly. He nodded at Squall who in turn nodded back and followed Akemi and Mat. Zell turned to follow Khain and Sutta. Selphie followed group A while Irvine tracked group C.  
  
~~~  
  
It had been an hour and a half now. They were almost to the cave. Khain was sliding down a gravel mountain path quietly and making sure not to make too much dust tracks. Sutta groaned.  
  
"This place is completely awful. I mean, why the heck would someone want to live in an icy desert?!" She complained loudly. Khain growled and as soon as she reached the bottom whipped around.  
  
"Shut up or I'll leave you here for the monsters." Khain threatened and walked off. Sutta glared.  
  
"You can't tell me what to do. I doubt you'll even become a SeeD, what with your lousy attitude." She yelled after her. Khain stopped and paled. Sutta had just yelled out in an enemy infested area.  
  
"Shit!" She yelled and ran back to where Sutta stood. Sutta took a step back.  
  
"What the?! Are you attacking me?!" Khain tackled Sutta mid waist as a bullet whizzed over their heads. Sutta gaped.  
  
"Shit! You gave away our position!" Khain yelled at her. She grabbed the other girl's hand and dragged her off. Looking up she saw five more shadows on the top of the hills. She growled and pushed the girl forward.  
  
"Run ahead, meet up with Mat and Akemi, Akemi's in charge if I don't make it out! GO!" She ordered. Sutta nodded, and ran off in fright. Khain went into guard position and waited for them to make their move.  
  
'Got to give her some time!' She thought panicky. A snapping sound, she jumped backed as a bullet soared in front of her. Another snap, she pushed off her right foot,  
  
BANG!  
  
She pushed off her left  
  
BANG!  
  
In the next minute she was dodging and weaving.  
  
'Left, right, duck, jump, back.' She thought. Zell watched from behind a cliff, waiting to see if he should step in. Suddenly something caught Zell's eyes and Khain's as well. Sutta stood on the cliffside. She raised her gun and fired. She hit a guy. Khain swore.  
  
"I told you to LEAVE!"  
  
"I'm not letting YOU get all the credit!" She said and raised her gun once more. Khain looked over her shoulder, a man was raising his gun at Sutta, the blond haired girl was too busy aiming at another guy to notice. Khain's eyes widened with realization, she ran forward.  
  
"SUTTA! DUCK!!" Sutta ignored her. Khain ran forward, she was almost there . . . . . .  
  
BANG!! BANG!!  
  
With a yell she threw herself in front of Sutta. Pain. That was all she felt. Burning, tearing, hot piercing pain. Sutta was on the ground from Khain's tackle. Sutta looked up and pushed Khain of her, she felt something wet and warm touch her fingers, looking at her hand she paled. Blood.  
  
"Oh god . . . HELP!!" Sutta yelled wringing her hands, she had no cure spell, and she had no idea how to do first aid. Zell dropped from the cliff, doing so, he landed on a guy and back kicked another. He punched the one to his other side. The last tried to run for it, Zell swore and picked up one of the enemy's guns, silently praying to god that Irvine's lessons had done something for him, he took aim.  
  
BANG!!  
  
The man went skidding across the ground as Zell lowered the gun. He dropped it and ran across the field. Looking Khain over he stared. The blood was coming from her arm. Khain opened her eyes wearily.  
  
"Just . . . . . . a scratch. No problem." She whispered and stood. Sutta helped her up.  
  
"Oh god . . . . . . I'm so sorry!" Zell looked her over, it was indeed just a graze. He pulled a white bandanna out of his pocket and wrapped it around her arm after muttering the cure spell. That done he nodded to her.  
  
"Let's go." He said and walked off. Sutta followed, Khain waited until they were over the hill before stumbling to her knees. She swore and ripped open her jacket. A thin white shirt was underneath, she tore a strip off and closed her jacket again. She then wrapped it around her ankle, where the second bullet had entered. She stood up and winced, being careful not to put too much weight on it, she began to trot off.  
  
~~~  
  
"You're the first group here. Well done." The instructor said as he welcomed Khain, Sutta, and the others. Khain nodded.  
  
"Thank you sir." She said saluting. He offered her a hand, she stared at it. "Begging your pardon, but I believe it will be best if I don't shake your hand." She said clasping her hands blood crusted hands behind her back. He stared at her confused.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"No reason sir I just-"  
  
"Got yourself shot is what." Mat said sourly. Khain glared at him. The Instructor looked at her.  
  
"Shot? You must have met the Verneries. That's the name of the army lurking beyond our borders." Sutta nodded.  
  
"I would've killed them all too, but Khain had to interfere." She growled out looking at her leader. Khain stayed silent. Zell looked carefully at her, and saw no emotion. Zell stepped forward.  
  
"If I may, I think we should get Khain to a hospital ward." He said calmly. The man nodded.  
  
"Right this w-" He was cut off as Khain suddenly stumbled forward. Zell caught her.  
  
"You okay?" He asked quickly.  
  
"Y-yeah, just a little dizzy is all." She muttered and righted herself, Zell knew by the dazed look in her eyes, that something was wrong. Mat paled, then pointed to her ankle.  
  
"Good god . . ." He whispered. Akemi paled. Sutta stared at the two of them.  
  
"What the hell is going on? It was just a scratch." Zell looked at Khain's ankle and blanched, from the pant leg that had been torn in her tackle, a red stained make shift bandage was viewable, from beneath it, a tinge of green marked the veins. Zell knelt down and slowly removed the bandage, and gulped. The green was spreading from the wound. He felt the edges of the bullet hole and felt Khain stiffen, she bit her lip and stayed silent. Zell brought red blood flakes away on his finger tips and dusted them between his fingers. They were gooey. Not good, normal blood flakes should crumble beneath the finger tips. Looking at Instructor he stood up.  
  
"She was shot in the ankle, look's like it was poisoned." Turning to Khain he growled.  
  
"First rule of combat, take care of yourself if you are injured! Why did you walk on that ankle? You could have killed yourself. Why didn't you tell me?!"  
  
"Didn't . . . . . . . . . seem . . . . . . . . . important." She mumbled looking at the ground. Mat stared.  
  
"Sorry . . . . . . . . . . . . sir." She whispered and fainted. Zell caught her and swore.  
  
"Get her into the medical ward now!"  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own FF8 I only own Khain, and you know. 


	2. Graveyards are a dangerous place

Chapter 2  
  
Khain woke in the hospital ward. She moaned as pain swamped over her. Sitting up a little, she winced at the bright light that came through.  
  
"You awake?" A light voice asked. Khain turned to look at Selphie. Selphie smiled. Zell came in, he looked pissed.  
  
'Oh boy.' She thought. Selphie sighed.  
  
"What the heck is that MATTER with you?!" He yelled, and before he could continue, Selphie clapped her hand over his mouth. She smiled at Khain.  
  
"You're lucky, one more minute and that poison would have gotten you."  
  
'So close . . . . . .'  
  
"Don't worry, you should heal by today."  
  
'Yet so far . . . . . . .' Selphie winked.  
  
"Zell was worried about you guys." Khain tilted her head to one side curiously.  
  
"Guys?"  
  
"Yeah, two more guys are in the wards next to you, the third left this morning, only to be harassed by Squall. Come on Zell. Let the girl heal." Khain scowled, she hated to be treated like a child, and being called 'girl' only made it worse. The two SeeDs walked out, but as soon as they left, three more figures burst in.  
  
"Good god, I know you were captain, but did you have to take a BULLET for someone?! Make that TWO bullets!!" Akemi yelled. Sutta growled and folded her arms over her chest.  
  
"I think she was just trying to get attention, that and make her look good, while making me look bad." Mat sighed.  
  
"Whatever. Hey, guess what! Team A stumbled on a small encampment of the Verneries and actually tried to fight 20 guys. That was 5 guys to one, good god. Only one of them came out unhurt. That Coroura guy. He dragged the rest of his team back here. Lord, I thought they were all done for. Their team captain, Sakura, as soon as she realized they were done for, tried to run for it. I heard Ms. Tilmitt talking, Sakura won't be a SeeD when we get back, that's for sure." Mat grinned, Khain's face stayed blank. Sutta sighed.  
  
"Better get out of here. We have patrol duty." She remarked and walked out, Akemi followed, Mat turned to leave, with one last look at Khain, then he exited. Once they were gone Khain flung the covers back and stood up, her shirt was white with blue polka dots, she scowled in disgust. Ripping it off, she pulled on her school uniform, the blood had been washed off, and the cuts mended. She smiled and pulled it on. Buttoning the jacket, she stepped out into the hallway. After asking a few students which way the meeting room was she set off at a dead run. She stopped right outside the room listening.  
  
"Seems everything is good here. I'll return to Balamb, I'd stay, but I got a message saying that a student was seriously injured in a mission, I'll have to collect details." Squall's voice came out.  
  
"Can't Quistis do that?" Irvine demanded.  
  
"She said that the problem got to big to be in her authority. I leave this afternoon. Selphie, Irvine, Zell, you all stay here. I'll be fine on my own." There was a murmur of agreement and chairs scraped as people got up. Khain swore silently and scrambled out of the way. Hiding behind a corner, she didn't dare breathe. She was deadly silent. As the SeeDs left the room she watched them leave, then crept into the room. She looked around, there was a round table in the middle, one ceiling lamp gave the room dim light, computers surrounded the whole room, she clicked onto one of them.  
  
*Enter Password*  
  
She snorted, instructors usually used something they would remember easily because of the effects of using a GF. She typed in the number of the head instructor. Bingo. Hacking was so easy.  
  
'Garden student information system.' She searched through all the names in a quick flash. Nothing, she shut the monitor off in relief and disappointment. There was nothing about her past, and he wasn't in this data bank. She shut off the light and slipped out of the room, she was rounding the corner when she ran into a Trabia student.  
  
"Did you just come out of-?" He asked quickly. Her eyes widened. She swore and knocked him out on the head. Shaking her head she waved a hand over his head, chanting something. Then she woke him quietly.  
  
"Huh? What happened?" The youth asked dazed.  
  
"You tripped. You okay?" Khain asked quietly, he nodded, still dumbfounded. Khain stared at his retreating back, then ran off.  
  
~~~  
  
Khain stepped out of the front doors and walked onto the main path, an icy wind tore through her, she ignored the sharp bite of cold and walked on.  
  
'Where to look next . . . . . ?' She sighed and took a path to the back of the school. It was 5 minutes before she realized she had walked into a cemetery. She looked around, tombstones were littered everywhere. She backed away, eyes wide, cemeteries scared her. She backed right over a cross and tripped over it, as she landed on the cold floor, her hands slapped the soil. As both her hands went flat down on the surface, a sudden shock flew through her. She got up panicky and backed away still on her back. Suddenly she bumped into something, turning around she saw an angel. She paled and gaped, something about this place did something to her. She heard a small voices in the back of her mind  
  
'Help . . . . . . . . . us . . . . . . . . . . .'  
  
'Use . . . . . . . . . . . . us . . . . . . . .'  
  
'Free . . . . . . . us . . . . . .'  
  
'Command . . . . . us . . . . .'  
  
'We are yours to CONTROL!' She slapped her hands to her ears, as if it would block the voices, but she knew they were in her head. She brought her knees to her chest and slowly began to rock, like a child. Tears streamed down her face.  
  
"What do you want from me?" She whispered.  
  
'Help US!'  
  
"LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" She screamed.  
  
'We are with you always . . . . .' She clasped her hands around her knees and continued to rock, tears still falling from her dull eyes. Small wispy lines rose from the ground straight up.  
  
'Give us your LIFE!!'  
  
~~~  
  
Zell walked into the infirmary. Lyski occupied one bed and was groaning. John had the next and was sleeping like a log, the next room . . . . . . was empty. He looked around.  
  
"Khain?" Maybe she had gone to the bathroom. He knocked on the door. Nothing. He walked by the other rooms.  
  
"Khain?" He sounded a little worried now. He was trotting now.  
  
"KHAIN?" He was running. He reached the last room where Selphie was sitting on a chair and talking to friend. She saw his worried look and stood up.  
  
"Zell? Are you okay?" He shook his head, his chest heaving with hard breathes.  
  
"I can't find Khain!"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"That girl! From team B! She's gone!" Selphie stood up worriedly. Walking over to a microphone that stood on the desk she pushed down a button and said into the mic.  
  
"Squall! We need you at the infirmary." 5 minutes later Squall stepped in.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Khain's missing. I can't find her." Zell said, his voice a little shaky. Squall looked at him directly.  
  
"She could be anywhere, did you look?"  
  
"YES! She couldn't have gone far! Her ankle was shot only yesterday." Squall thought for a moment. Selphie sighed. A student walked in, he looked at Selphie's friend.  
  
"Miss, I think I may be a little ill." The woman stood up and walked over to him. Looking him over she stared.  
  
"You seem okay. What's the problem?"  
  
"Well, a student from the Balamb Garden with red hair told me I fainted in the middle of nowhere so-" Zell pounced on him, only one two members of this test had red hair, and one of them was the missing one.  
  
"The student, what did they look like?" The student stared at him perplexed.  
  
"Well, he had really short red hair, and he wore the Balamb uniform. He also had blue eyes." Zell nodded  
  
"That's her! She wore the boy's uniform when we sailed here." Squall nodded.  
  
"Okay, let's get going!" Selphie went on the intercom.  
  
"Irvine Kinneas report to the medical ward immediately."  
  
~~~  
  
"Irvine Kinneas report to the medical ward immediately." Mat looked up as the radio blared to life once more.  
  
"Must be a big problem if they summoned two SeeDs to handle it." Akemi commented. Mat nodded.  
  
~~~  
  
Squall walked through the hallways once more swearing inwardly. It had been two hours, and no sign of that girl! Suddenly a student tore through the hallway.  
  
"The cemetery! Something's happening!" Squall spun around and grabbed the girl's wrist.  
  
"What? What is it?!" The girl shuddered.  
  
"Well, I was talking to my friend, in the grave. She died in that bombing. I was just talking to her when suddenly something white rose from her grave and began to spiral around the graveyard. Whatever it touched turned to ice!" She said in a panicky voice. Squall let her go and raced off towards the cemetery. Students had already heard of the events taking place, they were all rushing towards there. Even the Balamb students were. Squall cut his way through line, somewhere Zell had shown up.  
  
"What the heck is going on?! If it's a misfired spell, god help the one who did this!" He growled out. Squall didn't say anything. Irvine was already there, along with Selphie. Both were gaping, white wispy streaks rose from the ground and floated around dreamily. They seemed to be centered around an angel statue. Squall was about to walk onto the soil when Irvine stopped him.  
  
"Don't even try." He said, he took his gun and aimed it, he shot and as the bullet soared, it his a wall which caused a ripple, Squall now saw that the dome extended all over the cemetery. Zell swore.  
  
"What the hell IS that thing?!"  
  
"Someone help her!" A voice yelled out. Everyone turned to find a standing there, he had short brownish red hair and pale green eyes. His skin was pale and he was short. He looked only about 6 years old. Selphie turned to him.  
  
"Help who?" The boy gulped, his eyes were teary.  
  
"I saw a girl with red hair walk into the cemetery. She was there when the misty things started appearing!" Zell's face paled.  
  
"Oh god . . . ." He whispered, he whipped around to stare at the graveyard again. "Khain . . . . she must've went into there!" Irvine looked at Zell.  
  
"Don't even think about it Zell. You heard what that girl said, everything those wisps touch, turns to ice!" Zell closed his eyes, fighting back pain and terror.  
  
'Helpless again. Just like before . . . . . .' He snapped his eyes open and growled.  
  
"It won't happen again!" He yelled. He shot forward, hitting the barrier. As he hit it, a large number of lightening bolts danced across the surface. He growled and punched the barrier, it repelled him and sent the blonde flying. Zell swore.  
  
"The hell?! What is that thing?!" Irvine stared at it. Squall glared, then drew his gunblade out. He muttered something, suddenly the barrier was being hit from numerous places, as if it was hailing on the barrier. When it stopped the barrier still stood. Squall swore.  
  
"Whatever it is, it's better then the GFs." Yumae stepped up, skin pale. She walked forward.  
  
"The dead . . . . ." Everyone gaped at her.  
  
"It is a shield of the dead. Only an immortal or god may pass through it." The boy stepped forward.  
  
"Wouldn't a cross work as well?" Zell thought for a moment, he then reached into his shirt and pulled out a golden chain. At the very tip was a silver cross. The boy backed away from him.  
  
"Man, don't. Don't even think about it!" Irvine hissed. Zell swore, and began to run. Irvine stared after him  
  
"ZELL NO!" He sent up a prayer and then dove at the barrier. It was the most painful thing he'd ever felt, as if he was passing a wall made of ice lightening. He felt thousands of ice daggers pierce his skin, while at the same time his skin burned in flame. Then it was over, he landed with a grunt. He'd failed, he hadn't passed through. Looking up he felt someone call his name.  
  
"ZELL! GET UP! ABOVE YOU!" Someone screamed, Selphie, that was Selphie's voice! Looking up he saw a white wisp dive at him. He dodged. Looking back he saw that the others were far away, why? Then it hit him, he had gone through. He ran forward, two more spirits tried to attack him.  
  
"SHELL!" He yelled. They hit it, and evaporated. Only to reform and try again. He swore, the shield wouldn't hold forever. He ran up to the statue, he tripped and went head first into the statue, the minute his head touched the statue, it flared with white light. It took a few minutes for the light to clear. When it did, Squall ran up, Selphie, Irvine and all the Balamb students following. They all kneeled down by the statue. Zell groaned and stood up.  
  
"That's going to leave a mark." He muttered rubbing his head. The wisps still floated, but now they were slowly starting to dim. Zell stood up and walked around the statue, he nearly tripped over Khain, who was cuddled into a small little ball. She was shivering, Squall bent down on one knee next to her.  
  
"Hey, Khain! You okay?" Squall asked, genuine worry in his eyes. Zell stood up and kneeled next to her.  
  
"Khain, come on. Say something!" He placed a hand on her shoulder. She went ridged with shock and slapped his hand away as if it burned. She stood up and ran out in front of them, she turned and stared at them, fear in her eyes. She shivered slightly.  
  
"Don't touch me." She whispered. Zell got up.  
  
"Khain?! What the hell is the MATTER with you?!" HE walked up and placed a hand on her shoulder. She punched him in the nose.  
  
Silence.  
  
"I'm warning you to stay away!" She screamed. Tears fell from her eyes, heating the icy tracks on her numb cheeks. Zell gaped, one hand on his bleeding nose. The wisps began to brighten and become fast in their movements. Squall noticed this.  
  
"Zell! Watch it." He warned. Zell nodded, he slowly walked up to Khain.  
  
"C'mon, I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to help." She stopped shivering at looked at him, untrustfully.  
  
" . . . . . . . . . Help?" She repeated numbly. He nodded.  
  
"I only want to help you."  
  
'GIVE US YOU LIFE!!!' She stiffened, her eyes blazed into silver color fully. She slapped her arms to her ears.  
  
"LEAVE ME ALOONNNNNEEEEE!!!" She yelled and the lights convulsed, they snapped into action and tore through the wind at Zell. He stared at them frozen.  
  
"ZELL!!"  
  
~ Flashback ~  
  
"KAROU!!"  
  
~ End ~  
  
Khain snapped her eyes open, their color turned blue once more.  
  
"STOP!" She yelled. The wisps vanished. They began to appear around her and float around her lazily. She sobbed.  
  
"Someone . . . . . . anyone . . . . . . . . please help me . . ." She whispered. Zell walked carefully towards. her. When he kneeled next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder she flinched, but didn't move away.  
  
"Khain?" He whispered.  
  
"They want me." She said through gasps. He stared.  
  
"They?"  
  
"They want my life, they want me to command them. They want me to join them . . . ." She said in a tiny voice. He stared.  
  
"They who?" Squall kneeled down next to her. Khain sobbed.  
  
"They won't leave me alone. They haunt me." She dove into Zell's chest and clenched his shirt with cold fists.  
  
"Don't let them take me." She said in fear, her body was quivering. Akemi stared, all ego gone. She had never seen Khain like this, grant you she had only known Khain for about 3 days, but the red head struck Akemi as someone who would never cry. If she was afraid of someone, you had better be afraid as well. Selphie kneeled down next to her.  
  
"Who want's you dead?"  
  
"The eternal sleepers." Khain whispered. Selphie stiffened.  
  
"The eternal sl-?" Squall stood up and baked away gaping.  
  
"The dead?!" He squeaked out shocked. Khain nodded.  
  
"They pull me to them. Even now . . . ." She said, her eyes began to dull, the silver began to flicker and spread. Zell knew the change in her body. She stood up and backed away. A small grin spread on her mouth, her skin was now a light blue from the cold. Her seemed to be streaked silver. The spirits flew to her, they wrapped themselves around her in a spiral, slowly, ice began to form around her legs. Then her knees, then her waist. Zell ran forward.  
  
"Flame of the eternal lord!" He cried out. A funnel of red flame burst to life around Khain. When it was gone, the spirits and ice were too. Khain was on the ground, unconscious.  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine. Only plot, and you know. 


	3. Battle of fire

Chapter 3  
  
"She's like ice!"  
  
"God, how long has she been out here?"  
  
~~~  
  
'Whose . . . . . . carrying me?' Khain wondered dimly. 'No matter. Just sleep . . .' She closed her eyes and became limp. Someone smacked her on the cheek.  
  
"Don't you DARE fall asleep! We are not going to lose you Khain!" Zell said, his voice was harsh but his eyes were in silent worry. Squall carried her in his arms, as the entered the building, they heat washed over her in a wave. It was like fire to her icy skin, she flinched.  
  
"Zell! I don't think you should-" Selphie began. Squall shook his head.  
  
"We need her to keep her awake, if she falls asleep, she'll die." Selphie shut her mouth and only rushed to keep up.  
  
~~~  
  
In the hospital wing Squall set Khain down gently on a bed and touched her forehead. She winced at the fire touch. He removed his hand.  
  
"We have to warm her up quick, problem is, if we don't she dies of pneumonia, and if we warm her up to quickly, the drastic temperature change could kill her as well." Zell sighed.  
  
"So now what?"  
  
"She needs body heat. Plain and simple." Zell gulped.  
  
"You mean we have to get into her-"  
  
"Bed? Yes. I know you don't like the idea. But we have to, and the person has to be changed every hour, because if we don't that person could get sick as well. It's really annoying I have to leave soon . . . . . ." Zell shook his head.  
  
"If they need you, we won't stop you. Don't worry, Khain will be fine." Selphie nodded.  
  
"I'll get her undressed and take the first shift. We won't let her die Squall." Squall nodded, Selphie smiled and pushed the guys out of the room. Later, Zell found Selphie sleeping, Khain wrapped in her arms. It may have looked a little sick, but to anyone who knew of Khain's present state, would see it as something to have hope for, to hope that she would live. Oddly enough Selphie was asleep. He looked at his watch, over an hour. He woke Selphie up.  
  
"Selphie? Get something hot to drink or take a warm bath. I'll take over." Selphie woke, and nodded at him. Getting up Zell discovered she was only wearing a skirt and a shirt. She smiled wearily at him.  
  
"God I'm freezing, take good care of her Zell." She smiled and slipped out of the room. Zell turned to Khain who was shivering still and gulped. He knew what Squall had said to do, easy for that jerk. He wasn't here. Squall's voice ran through his head.  
  
'The less clothes you have, the better it is to exchange heat. I'm not saying that you should get naked. I'm saying you should wear shorts and a shirt at the most.' Zell sighed,  
  
'Squall.' He thought. 'Why are you haunting me?' He pulled off his SeeD uniform jacket and then pulled of the pants to expose a black pair of shorts and a white shirt. He sighed and slipped beneath the covers, how had Selphie done it? Oh yeah. He wrapped his arms around Khain's icy form and held her close. He found it difficult to fall asleep like Selphie had done. Khain kept throwing her arm over his chest and would insist on snuggling up to him. Awake, her face was impassive, like she was a robot. Asleep, there was still that robot like look, but she her face was eased. Her features were softened. She looked innocent. He sighed. She was smiling about something, and she had stopped shivering. Zell allowed himself a small smile.  
  
"Enjoying yourself?" A sly voice asked. Zell gleeped and turned to find Irvine leaning on the door frame grinning. Zell blushed.  
  
"What?! NO!" Irvine laughed.  
  
"Just joking Zell." He said and walked out the room chuckling. Zell sighed.  
  
~~~  
  
Khain woke up lightly and kept her eyes closed. She discovered that her pillow had a heartbeat. Sitting up she gaped. Zell was holding her and he was asleep. She looked herself over under the sheets, a simple white shirt and black shorts. She sighed in relief, thank god she wasn't naked. A small cold gust bit into her skin and she bit back a yelp, she really didn't want to get up, so she slowly sank down under the covers, lying her head uneasily on Zell's chest she was lulled into a relaxed sleep and for once in her life, let her defenses down.  
  
~~~  
  
Zell woke up and looked down at Khain, her face had changed somehow. It was relaxed, she seemed to lose 5 years off her face. He was looking at what her face should look like every moment of her life, not just once when she was asleep. He sighed. Then looked up, what was that sound?  
  
~~~  
  
Khain woke slightly, looking around, she saw Zell was gone. The door was open, what was going on? She got up, ignoring the fact that she only wore shorts and shirt, she pulled on her white sneakers and walked out into the empty hallway. No one was there, no sound of activity, except . . . . . . . . . something was going on outside. Her eyes flickered in the edge of silver. She growled.  
  
'Not yet.' She thought for no reason. Some part of her growled in anger, but quieted. Her haired flickered silver. She walked out into the main hall and saw no one. Then someone ran past her. She grabbed the boy's arm.  
  
"What's going on?!"  
  
"The Verneries!! They're attacking!"  
  
"The SeeDs?!"  
  
"Out, the enemy got them down with sleeping gas!!"  
  
~ Flashback ~  
  
Zell yawned slightly when he walked into the room.  
  
"What's up?" He asked Selphie and Irvine. They looked at him.  
  
"Some sort of censor malfunction with the computer." Selphie replied. Zell squatted down next to her.  
  
"So what's up?" He asked while looking at the tangle of wires. Irvine shrugged.  
  
"So how's Khain?"  
  
"Better, though I don't know how to explain . . . . . . . ."  
  
"The graveyard?" Selphie commented looking at him. Zell nodded.  
  
"How did she do that? And why do those spirits . . . . . . . . want her?" Irvine sighed.  
  
"Who knows? I think she knows more then she's letting on though- What's that smell?" He asked suddenly sniffing the air, suddenly he swore and covered his mouth and nose.  
  
"Gas!!" Zell lurched to his feet, too late! Already he felt drowsy. Selphie stumbled out of the room.  
  
"Selphie!" A student yelled and ran up to catch her. Selphie fainted into his arms. Irvine stumbled out and toppled to the ground unconscious. Zell came out, still slightly sleepy. A student ran up to him.  
  
"SIR!! What happened?!" The boy asked worriedly.  
  
'Mat, his name was Mat. . . . .' Zell thought silently.  
  
"Ambush . . . . . . . . . battle." Was all Zell got out before collapsing, Mat gaped, his green locks flying as he whipped his head around.  
  
"YOU HEARD HIM!! Get these three to a safe location! Get ready for an attack!" Too late.  
  
"ENEMY!!!" A sentry yelled while pointing to the horizon. Akemi paled.  
  
"God save us all."  
  
~~~  
  
Khain stumbled out onto the battlefield, and nearly died on a flame tipped arrow. She dodged it and came to life. Looking at the front gate she nearly clouted them all on the head. Were they just PRETENDING to be stupid?! Students were firing spells randomly with no real strategy. Good god, they were all going to die. She ran up.  
  
"STOP! Long range sentries!!" She yelled to the people on the wall above. "Hold them off!!" She commanded. They nodded and let loose their attack. She turned to the spell casters.  
  
"I want you to form two equal lines. I will count to three, before I say three, I want the back line to cast Aero. ON three I want the front line to cast fire. Got it?!" She ordered, everyone nodded. Getting into two lines as told, the first line got to their knees and got ready to fire.  
  
"1! 2!" Wind tore through the air as soldiers burst through the front gate. "3!!" She yelled, fire roared through the air, it was enhanced by the Aero spell, who said science was useless? The soldiers, who were burnt to a crisp, fell to the floor and the men outside backed away. She glared around. Spotting her group she ran up.  
  
"Okay, anyone leading?" She asked quickly, true, she wanted to die, but they didn't deserve to, she should at least give them a fighting chance. When no one spoke up she nodded.  
  
"Okay, Sutta. I want you to spread a message throughout the whole Garden, anyone with healing spells pass them onto one person from that squad. Then those people are to assist you in taking the wounded to the front wing. Any complaints and you can tell them to shove it. Got it?" Sutta nodded and ran off. She turned to Mat.  
  
"Mat, I need you to watch this door, you're slow, but smart. Help them barricade the front door." Mat gulped, then ran off to do as bid. Akemi smiled.  
  
"I have to stay and help guide the 1st squad." Khain nodded.  
  
"Okay, where's the others?" Akemi pointed, saluted, then ran off.  
  
"John!! Lyski!" She yelled out, the two turned to face her.  
  
"I want you two to be runners. All you have to do is go around healing those and helping where it's needed okay? The minute things look good, move on. Most likely they'll be attacking from all around. No heroics." The two nodded and ran off.  
  
"Sakura, you're a healer. Go to the front wing to help the others." She commanded. Sakura fled. Turning to Coroura she nodded.  
  
"You're coming with me." He nodded. Turning around she saw a student from Trabia take down a soldier with his sword, then he kicked another.  
  
"YOU!!" She said pointing at him. "You're in charge!" She yelled and ran off. He gaped, then turned.  
  
"I want you three to form a line-"  
  
~~~  
  
Khain ran around the corner. Yumae was fending off soldiers, they were steadily pushing her back. Inaba was laying on the ground with a wounded shoulder.  
  
"Coroura!" She yelled, they both dove in and fired left, right and center.  
  
'Let me help . . . . . .' Khain growled.  
  
'FINE!' Silver claimed her eyes and streaked her hair.  
  
"Flame of the gods!!" She yelled, a funnel rose from the ground and spiraled around the soldiers. In seconds, what remained of that squad of Verneries, was burned to a crisp. The silver retreated. A man from the rooftop took aim with his bow. He fired, Khain, to weary at the moment heard it all too late.  
  
CRACK!!  
  
The arrow broke. The boy grinned, took a dagger from his boot and threw it at the soldier, he dropped to the ground. He lowered his staff and turned while bowing. Coroura stared.  
  
"You're the boy from that day, the one who saw Khain walk into the cemetery." The boy nodded while holding his staff.  
  
"Best get going, I can handle myself." Khain nodded turning to Inaba she ran over.  
  
"You can walk, I don't care if you have to fly yourself there, go to the front wing. Others should be there to help you. Hey kid, can you go with her?" The child nodded and grabbed Inaba's arms while dragging her off. Turning to Yumae, she panted slightly.  
  
"I need you to come with me." Yumae nodded and ran off after the duo.  
  
"Where's Neko and Koji?!" Khain yelled back to Yumae.  
  
"They ran off frightened." She yelled back, Khain sighed. Wonderful. Just peachy.  
  
"What are we looking for?!" Coroura demanded. Khain glared.  
  
"They have to have a leader, we kill the leader, most likely they'll stop trying." She declared. The others shut up and followed.  
  
~~~  
  
Khain snuck past the charging guards, all of them were too eager with the lust for bloodshed to pay too much notice to a few odd shadows. The three crept past another set of guards and right into the enemy camp. Walking right up to the main tent she and the other two grinned lightly.  
  
"How is the attack going?"  
  
"We were doing well sir. But suddenly, about an hour ago they suddenly started coordinating their attacks. As if they suddenly got a leader." The man growled.  
  
"How is that possible? We sent a fake message to the Garden to lure that Leonheart away, then gassed the remaining SeeDs. They can't possibly have a leader!" Khain nodded. She took a dagger from her belt sheath and plunged it into the cloth, tearing it open she spin kicked the other guard and grabbed the leader by his neck. Placing the dagger tip to his throat he froze.  
  
"Well, well. A commander huh? I guess that means you can call of that attack on the garden. Simple what I want you to do. Call of the attack or . . . . . ." She pressed the blade deeper. He smirked.  
  
"Kill me then." Khain thought, then grinned.  
  
"Or I can make you suffer first. That's SOO much more fun." She said evilly while Yumae grinned, knowing what Khain was thinking. She leveled her spear and his mid section. He gulped. Coroura grinned while pulling a gun from his pocket and aiming.  
  
"Did you know that you can skin someone and they'd still live for an hour before bleeding to death?" Khain whispered into his ear. He shook with fear now.  
  
"How about hearing how painful it is to have someone rip out your finger nails, one, by, one." Coroura offered smiling.  
  
"Then slowly, cut off bit by bit off a human's hand?" The man gaped.  
  
"Y-you wouldn't! You're to scared to do that!" Khain laughed. She let go of him while Coroura held a gun to his head. Quick as lightening she made a gash in his arm. The blood dripped softly to the carpet. Her eyes had gone silver now.  
  
"Think so?" She asked digging her nails into his cut. He yelled in anguish.  
  
"Tell them to stop the attack or . . . . ." Yumae said while pressing her spear up against his leg. He gulped.  
  
"OKAY!!" Khain grinned, the silver vanished. She let go of his arm and pushed him outside, her knife leveled at his throat.  
  
"Call off the attack!!" He yelled. Khain was about to let him go when something in the back of her mind flickered.  
  
'DUCK!' She obeyed, an arrow flew over her head. The man swore and growled at her, he punched her in the face with all his strength. Silence. Khain turned to him, and smiled. He backed away, she wiped the tiny trickle of blood off her mouth and then licked the blood of her hand while grinning maniacally. He backed away.  
  
"Interesting. I never knew that humans could be so stupid." She commented carefully while looking at her hand.  
  
"W-what?!" He demanded. Khain shifted her glance towards him.  
  
"Surprised huh? Well, I guess. Most humans don't notice a god in their realms. Of course that's why I'm not afraid of death. I can't be killed." A guard aimed at her head, she turned to him and one hand on her hip she smiled.  
  
"Want to kill me do you? Go ahead and try." He fired . . . . . . . . the bullet went through her head. She stood there grinning. They gulped and all fled. Yumae came shaking.  
  
"H-how did?" Khain laughed.  
  
"Psychology Yumae. Really simple. The illusion spell is so convenient isn't it?" A voice said from behind her. Yumae spun around to find a silver eyed smirking Khain. The one in front vanished.  
  
"Let's get back. The enemy won't be getting any reinforcements." Yumae stared after Khain who ran off, then shrugged.  
  
"She's quite a girl isn't she?" Coroura asked. Yumae chuckled.  
  
~~~  
  
"You there!!" Khain yelled the minute they ran into the base. The Trabia instructor turned, a small crescent cut on her face.  
  
"What?!" Khain ran up gasping. Bending down and placing her hands on her knees she looked up, her pale face sweaty.  
  
"Do you still have that old oil pipe system?" She demanded. The woman nodded.  
  
"Tell me everything you can about it. And make it quick."  
  
~~~  
  
"The oil system fans out on the grounds outside the garden. It works like a spider web and is about 5km in width from the garden. It has no connection to the new oil system. There's a small pipe that is connected to the old oil system. It's filled with mountain water. We have a lever that blocks the two from mixing, but we've never used it before. It might be rusty and unable to lift." Khain thought for a moment. Yumae and Coroura had gone to help their teams. Leaving her to have her own ideas.  
  
"If I were to light to oil in the old pipe, would it affect anything BUT the outside area?" She asked. The woman looked at her, if she had any ideas, she kept it to herself.  
  
"If we let the old pipe burn, then yes. It would eventually kill the entire area. If doused quickly enough. It would be practically harmless, except to the old pipe." Khain nodded.  
  
"Give me that." She said pointing to the intercom mic.  
  
~~~  
  
"Mat, Akemi, Coroura, Yumae, and Lyski from Balamb garden, report to the area in front of the main gate immediately. If you're doing something, drop it!"  
  
Akemi and Mat looked up. Mat looked around wildly, spotting an instructor he pointed to him.  
  
"Can you do me a favor and look after the main gate?" He asked. "Thanks!" He yelled without waiting for his reply. He stared after the kid and shook his head.  
  
"These kids are getting way to egotistical." Turning to the front line he began to shout orders. Akemi ran off. Elsewhere, Yumae was already running down the hallway. On the West wing Coroura was running beside Lyski.  
  
~~~  
  
"Okay, I want you all to split up. Coroura, you'll go to this spot right here." Khain ordered while pointing to a spot on the map. She proceeded to give them their directions.  
  
"Now when you hear the signal you're going to shoot a fire-tipped arrow into the pipe that'll be marked at that spot. Make SURE you're a good 3 meters away. Don't want anyone getting fried. You'll know the signal. It has to be at the same time, or it won't work." Turning to Lyski she nodded.  
  
"You're job, is after I give you the signal, is to pull that lever over there. That'll release the water into the system. Got it?" Lyski nodded and ran off. The others ran off.  
  
"Hey, forget something?!" She yelled holding up four sets of bows and arrows. They all gulped, blushed and turned around. Yanking them from her hold they returned to running. Khain picked up her own set and ran on.  
  
"I'm ready!!" A voice yelled, she turned to find the boy who had helped her earlier standing there.  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
"Hiroshima." Khain nodded.  
  
"Okay, I want you to go to the intercom room. Wait two minutes, then count to 5 in an even pace got it? That's all you have to do." Hiro nodded.  
  
"Got it!" He ran down the walkway. She stared after him, then ran on. Reaching her spot she took a lighter from her pocket and got it ready. Suddenly an ear piercing screech came from somewhere. She dropped to a knee while the bow and arrows clattered to the ground.  
  
'They're coming for you again.' Her tiny voice said amused. She gritted her teeth.  
  
'Glad to find someone thinks it's amusing. Who the hell are you anyway?!' She thought angrily.  
  
'I'm you. Or more or less you're past you.'  
  
'Yeah? Well screw off, I'm busy at the moment.'  
  
'Why are you helping them? Why are you helping someone who you could care less about?'  
  
' . . . . . . . . I don't know. It's just a feeling I have. Now get lost!'  
  
The whine in her head rose to an unbearable point. She actually yelled out loud. A sniper, spotted her and aimed. His gun leveled at her head.  
  
BANG!!  
  
~~~  
  
Squall pushed the Ragnarok as fast as he could.  
  
'A false call. WHY DIDN'T I KNOW?! I should've seen this coming.' Quistis looked at him worriedly.  
  
"Don't worry, they have Zell, Selphie and Irvine there. They'll be fine." She chose not to mention that when she had tried to contact Trabia garden, no one had answered. Squall closed his eyes in anguish.  
  
"It's my fault." He hissed. Quistis shook her head.  
  
"It isn't. Stop blaming your self and just pilot this damn thing."  
  
~~~  
  
Khain yelled out, the bullet hit her arm. Lyski moved forward to help her. She growled.  
  
"Stay there!!" He stopped in his tracks.  
  
'God, I'm having a bad week with guns.' She thought a she clutched her throbbing skin. She looked up and gaped. The man was on the ground, over the wall. Zell was clinging to the wall for support. He gave her a shaky grin through labored breaths.  
  
"I'll be fine, the gas had a small bit of affect on me, but I'm good. Do whatever you have to." She nodded.  
  
"5!!" A voice called out. She swore, he had already begun. She grabbed the bow and yelled out. Her arm shot a jolt of pain through her.  
  
"4!" She gritted her teeth, picking up her bow and arrow she took the lighter.  
  
"3!" She lit the arrow. Her arm jolted once more.  
  
"2!" She set the arrow into the bow and pulled the string back. Not far enough . . . . . she pulled more. Her arm screamed in protest.  
  
"1!!" She let the arrow fly with a yell. It flew down the pipe and into the oil system. Coroura, Akemi, Mat and Yumae let their fire tipped arrows fly at once.  
  
~~~  
  
Squall was flying over Trabia.  
  
"Set it down there." Quistis said pointing to a small clear spot. Squall gritted his teeth. This didn't look good. Suddenly red lines rose up from the ground. He paled.  
  
"What now?"  
  
~~~  
  
Khain walked up to the pipe. Not enough, it wasn't enough. She thought.  
  
'You'd better not screw up.' She thought angrily as she let her other side take over. Silver eyes gleamed.  
  
'When have I ever failed?' Khain raised a hand and muttered one word.  
  
"Alhora." Flame erupted into her palm, she threw it down the pipe.  
  
~~~  
  
Suddenly the ground burst into flame, fire claimed the land and burned everything. Squall paled.  
  
"I hope that's good for our side." He whispered. Quistis couldn't' answer, she had gone into shock at the sight of the flame.  
  
~~~  
  
Khain nodded to Lyski. He grunted and pulled the rusted thing down. It creaked in protest, but slowly began to lower. As soon as the fires had appeared, they vanished. She smiled. Looking out at the wall, all was calm. No one was left alive, everyone in the garden was gaping, most were terrified. Mat came up, eyes wide in fright.  
  
"Khain . . . . . . . . what did you do?" Khain began to chuckle, then laugh out loud. Her laughter rang out through the silent yard. She turned to Mat who backed away.  
  
"It's just death."  
  
~~~  
  
Squall ran into the courtyard. Trabia students were helping wounded into the school. Balamb students were half and half. Some were in beds moaning over injuries, others were helping to set the school to rights. Squall found Khain helping Zell stand. Mat was holding up Irvine while Akemi was hoisting Selphie on her shoulder.  
  
"What happened?" Squall demanded running up to Khain. She looked at him straight in the eye.  
  
"I don't know sir. I was in the hospital ward at the time." Mat nodded.  
  
"If I may sir. It was gas, the Verneries gassed the room the SeeDs were in."  
  
"And here's our stray." A calm voice said. Everyone turned.  
  
"Hiroshima?" Khain asked, looking slightly surprised. He was holding a gun to a student's head.  
  
"He sabotaged the communications system so that we wouldn't be able to call for help. He also let the Verneries so close to the garden, not to mention he created a computer error in the wire by cutting a few so that Selphie would fix it. He knew she loved working in electronics, the others would most likely follow her, and if not, then they would gas each on separately if necessary." He explained. Khain scowled.  
  
"Useless wretch." She said to the older student. He gulped. She would've torn his throat, however with Zell leaning on her, that would be nearly impossible. Squall however was a different story.  
  
"Why you son of a-!!" He began, then took a deep breath. "Take him to the basement and lock him up. I'll deal with him later." Hiroshima nodded. Selphie stood up wearily. She looked around.  
  
"But how did you survive? There were no leaders and they outnumbered you!" She exclaimed. Zell stood up and yawned. He nodded.  
  
"Who took charge?" Everyone looked at Khain, Mat was about to speak when Khain cut him off.  
  
"It was Mat. He did everything." Selphie looked at him smiling.  
  
"Great way to handle yourself in the battlefield." Mat shook his head, Khain tried to sneak off, however Zell was still partially leaning on her, therefore, she couldn't.  
  
"Khain's too humble, she did everything. I just helped." Selphie turned to Khain, who had busied her glance by looking at a particularly interesting rock. Selphie laughed.  
  
"Well, we'll figure this all out later. We have some people to take care of. Speaking of which, Khain? Are you aware that you're bleeding?" Selphie asked, Khain nodded blushing. Zell sighed.  
  
"I almost think you LIKE getting shot." He commented. "Just like when Squall was nearly killed with an icicle." Everyone snapped their heads around to stare at him.  
  
"WHAT?!" The trainees demanded.  
  
"ZELL!!" The SeeDs screamed.  
  
"Sorry!! Sorry!!" He yelled and ducked as Quistis aimed a blow at his head. As he ran off Quistis chased after him  
  
"Zell you knucklehead!!"  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine, I own plot, Khain and yada yada. 


	4. Karou

Chapter 4  
  
'It's weird.' Khain thought.  
  
'What?' Her other self replied.  
  
'I don't know you, and yet I trust you.' The other voice chuckled.  
  
'You know exactly who I am.'  
  
'But what's your name?' Silence.  
  
'You already know.' It finally answered. Khain growled. 'I am you, and you are me, we are one and the same.'  
  
'Look, I've been shot for the second time in two days, cut the poetry crap, I'm not in the mood for it. What the hell is your freaking name?' The voice laughed.  
  
'Call me Kay if you want. Though you know my true name, or should I say, yours?'  
  
'Don't make me hurt you.' Khain growled out. Kay laughed.  
  
'Very well, see you soon.' She said and her presence vanished. Khain sighed, wait a sec, she had said 'SEE you soon' How was that possible? Khain knew very well Kay had said that on purpose, she didn't let little things like that slip, so how-?  
  
"OWWW!!" She suddenly yelled out, as the doctor gave a final tug and yanked the bullet out. Looking at her arm she swore.  
  
"Dammit doc, couldn't you have given me some morphine or something?!" The doctor laughed softly.  
  
"I could've, but then you'd be sick for ages. I checked your allergy symptoms." Khain swore. Hiro walked up carrying a tray.  
  
"Language." He said teasingly. She gave him the finger. He gave a mock sniff.  
  
"Now that's mean." He said sadly while fighting the urge to grin. She growled.  
  
"Screw off Hiro." He chuckled, walked out, then she heard soft laughter from the hallway. Just as the doctor finished the wrapping on her arm, Zell stepped in. Khain looked at him.  
  
"So." He said firmly. Khain raised an eyebrow.  
  
"So what?" Zell shook his head.  
  
"Never mind. How's your arm?" Khain blinked in surprise, then shrugged.  
  
"Better, but I'll be unable to use it for a while." Zell chuckled.  
  
"You're having a bad month with your limbs." He commented.  
  
"I'd agree." Selphie commented entering. Squall, Quistis and Irvine behind her. Selphie sat on the bed gently and put her hand on Khain's ankle.  
  
"You okay?" Khain stayed silent. She knew why they were here.  
  
"What happened?" Squall asked getting straight to the point. Khain sighed.  
  
"As I said, I was in the hospital ward at the time the fight had already started. When I got out onto the battlefield, the Verneries were forcing us back, had anyone not panicked, they would have done just as I did."  
  
"Not likely. She gave Elite level orders!" Mat called from an adjacent bed. He had been injured by a soldier, a chest wound given by a fire spell.  
  
"Here, here!" Coroura called from the other side.  
  
"You save us all Khain." Yumae said smiling as she carried a tray to Akemi's bed, he had a head injury, got bashed over the head with the butt of a gun. Yumae set down the tray as Akemi smiled.  
  
"They're right, we would've died if you hadn't shown up." Khain looked down as Squall watched her from the corner of his eye. He smiled.  
  
"Selphie, Quistis, Zell, we need to talk. Irvine, I need you to check Ragnorak." Irvine nodded as the others followed Squall out of the ward. Khain sighed. That was before the doctor went over to Mat's bed with the antiseptic. He poured it onto a cotton ball and began to dab it over the burn streak on Mat's chest. The inevitable happened.  
  
"OW!! BLOODY F*CKING HELL!!!"  
  
~~~  
  
"Hey guys, how'd it go?" Seifer asked as Squall and friends stepped off the boat. Then he looked at Khain and his eyes widened.  
  
"Khain? What the hell happened to you?" He asked laughing as the girl limped off the boat. She scowled.  
  
"Shut up Seifer." She growled out. Squall raised an eyebrow.  
  
"You know each other?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah." Seifer replied. "We're sparring partners, she taught me hand-to- hand combat. Since chickenwuss over there wouldn't." Zell growled. Khain shrugged.  
  
"Whatever." She shrugged and turned away. "I really need a hair cut." She murmured, tugging one of her locks of hair. Seifer sighed.  
  
"How many times do I have to tell you Khain? You should really let your hair grow out."  
  
"It gets in the way of my fighting."  
  
"And you look like a boy."  
  
"Point?"  
  
"When are you going to get a boyfriend?"  
  
"Never. And don't even think of asking Seifer. You're married."  
  
"I'm crushed." He said playfully. Khain groaned, but smiled slightly. Zell noticed this with wry amusement.  
  
"Why Seifer! I'm shocked!" Zell said teasingly. "You're two-timing Quistis!" He cried out in fake awe. "I'll have to tell her of course." He said mockingly. Seifer scowled.  
  
"Lay off chickenwuss." Khain ignored them, and instead, chose to walk home. Mat stared after her.  
  
"Khain-? HEY! KHAIN?! WAIT UP!" Too late, she was gone. Selphie sighed.  
  
"We have got to do something about that girl." Irvine said tilting his hat up a bit. Squall simply crossed his arms over his chest and walked towards the car.  
  
"Whatever."  
  
~~~  
  
"It's been so long . . ." Khain murmured. Walking into the cave she walked along the fiery path, the monsters looked at her as she passed, but ignored her. In fact, they seemed to accept her, one bat even landed on her shirt and hung upside down. She carefully raised a hand to stroke it's fur, to anyone else, it would have been burning hot, but to her, it was just politely warm. Buels squeaked at her and she waved in reply, reaching the fire pit she stopped a few inches away from the lava pool.  
  
"This is where it all started. Do you remember?" Her other self asked as it appeared next to her in a transparent form.  
  
"Yeah. I remember it all too well." Khain replied bitterly.  
  
"Well, you know the saying, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Kay replied mockingly.  
  
"Yeah, but what happened here . . . . it really did kill me." She replied softly. Kay snorted.  
  
"Right. Well, hurry up then." Khain shifted, then brought something from her pocket, a tiny flower, slightly crushed, a rose. She tossed it into the pit, watched the petals sink and fall, then she turned around and walked away as the rose gurgled before sinking beneath the surface.  
  
"Nice to see you again Karou." She murmured.  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine. I own plot and my own made up characters. Yada, yada. 


	5. Promotion

Chapter 5  
  
Khain sat on a hospital bed while the doctor, Kadowaki or something like that, administered the needle, she had been ordered to report to the infirmary around lunch time every day for the next week or so for a needle to counteract the poison that had been in the bullet, and that something came from a monster, that's all Khain knew, and that's all she WANTED to know. If it came from a monster, was in liquid form. . . I'm sure you get the point. Khain stayed silent as the doctor finished putting the needle in, in the next room, Mat was getting 4 shocks to his body to get the blood around his chest flowing, they wanted to make sure his chest muscles were still good. Sadly for him, Akemi was doing the charges. Mat sighed as Akemi approached with the shockers.  
  
"Ow . . . . . . ow . . . . . . . Ow! . . . . . . . OW BLOODY FU-!!!" Akemi broke into laughter. Khain smirked as Mat rubbed his sore chest.  
  
"Dammit Akemi! That really hurt!"  
  
"Baby." he taunted. Mat suddenly paled.  
  
"You know, all of a sudden I'm scared. You had a head injury, what if- OWWW!!"  
  
"Oops. Tied that a little too tight." Akemi declared with a smirk. Mat continued to swear in three different languages, and was still swearing as Khain walked out of the infirmary.  
  
~~~  
  
The next day, Khain was working on her fighting drills and getting back her flexibility with her arm back, when someone walked up beside her.  
  
"Should you be doing this after just getting out of the hospital ward?" Zell asked carefully. Khain groaned inwardly, there went another practice session. She turned to Zell and bowed lightly.  
  
"It was only a poison-"  
  
"Bullet to the ankle, pneumonia, getting shot in the arm again, and then limping on your bad leg all the way back to the garden from Balamb. Need I go on?" Zell said dully with a tiny grin. Khain looked at him for a moment, then gave a light smile.  
  
"No, I suppose you have a point." She declared lightly. Zell chuckled.  
  
"Aren't I lucky? Anyway, since all the students are almost better, we're holding the announcement of the new SeeDs in a-"  
  
"All candidates who took part in the SeeD test to Trabia report to the 2nd floor hallway immediately." A voice announced on the speakers. Zell smirked.  
  
"Speak of the devil. Well, see you in a few moments, you have to get suited up." Zell said with an easy grin, Khain nodded, bowed once more, then walked out of the training center with ease.  
  
~~~  
  
"Aw man. . . . what if I didn't make it?! What if I get kicked out?! What if I'm disgraced?! What if-?!"  
  
"Enough of the 'what ifs' and sit your ass down before I knock you out for giving me a headache with your damn pacing!" Coroura interrupted Mat . Akemi chuckled as Mat sent Coroura a scathing glare. Khain remained silent. Yumae waited off to the side while her team sat in a little corner talking.  
  
"I think I'll make it!"  
  
"You?! You ran off during the fight you coward!"  
  
"What are you talking about Neko?! So did you!"  
  
"Aw shut up." Neko growled at Koji. Sakura smirked.  
  
"I'm sure I'll make it!"  
  
"Whatever, you lead your team into a trap and disobeyed direct orders, we were only to head for Trabia Garden, you on the other hand just had to take on an entire army didn't you?" Sutta jeered.  
  
"You shut up blondie! You nearly got your captain killed!"  
  
"Hey it's not my fault that Khain is a stuck up b*tch and refuses to let anyone help her just so she can have all the glory." Sutta snapped while glaring at the teen in question. Khain didn't venture a reply, just stayed silent. Akemi however. . .  
  
"Oh shut UP Sutta. If you had any brains in that neon yellow colored head of yours, you'd have realized that everything was your fault. You disobeyed a direct order from your captain, and in doing so put yourself and your captain in danger. Not only that, but you caused the problem in the first place by yelling out in enemy territory, which is about the STUPIDEST thing you can do in a war besides running up and down the area with a foghorn and flashing lights, which you probably would've done had Khain not told you to stop. Then, when Khain tried to help you, you blatantly ignored her and nearly got yourself killed! You want to know something?! YOU will NEVER be a SeeD at this rate because you ignore orders and put everyone around you in danger!" Akemi bellowed. Silence. Khain looked at the young man with shocked eyes. Mat took a breath.  
  
"Whoa. . . dude. . ."  
  
"Ahem." A voice said softly, they all turned to find Quistis standing there.  
  
"Here are the people who made it past the exam." Quistis declared calmly. "Matsuki Kuzaka."  
  
"YAHOO!" Mat was so enthralled that he let the name thing slide and dashed down the hallway laughing.  
  
"Akemi Matasuri." Quistis continued next, Akemi smirked and waved goodbye to the crowd as he walked down the hallway towards the elevator. "Coroura Niona." Coroura grinned and walked down the hallway with a big grin. "Yumae Sukora." Yumae bowed and followed the others.  
  
"Khain Corona." Quistis continued. Khain raised an eyebrow, how had they known her last name? Khain nonetheless followed the others down the hallway. "John Lawrence and Lyski Nitoder. That's all."  
  
"WHAT??" Khain heard Sutta scream as she entered the elevator, Khain smirked to herself.  
  
~~~  
  
"You all did exceedingly well. Congratulations." The headmaster declared as he handed out the reports, Khain accepted hers dully and noticed that from the shadows, Squall was watching them. She smirked, bowed to the headmaster and walked out of there. Once in her new room, she looked over her score, aced. Khain tossed the card onto her desk table and began to change, some damned party tonight. Thank god they have given her the male uniform, if she had been forced to wear a skirt, things would not have ended well.  
  
~~~  
  
"On a first note, over 50% of the candidates passed, at which I am very happy for you all." Rinoa declared while speaking into the mike. "And secondly, here is the SeeD commander here to say a few words!" She stepped back and waited for Squall to take the mike, he looked at her for a moment, then walked up to the mike and said two words.  
  
"Good work." Then stepped back. Mat snickered.  
  
"You must've meant VERY few words." He called out, Rinoa giggled.  
  
"Yes, I suppose. On a second note, Trabia has been fully restored and the Vernery army has been stopped dead in it's tracks!" Rinoa waited for the applause to subside once more. "Thirdly, thanks to this battle, Balamb Garden is now rated number one in the world for military services!" More cheers erupted. So they had finally beaten Galbadia for that position, whoopee. "And now, believe it or not, Squall has an announcement." She stepped back again, this time, everyone was silent. Squall Leonheart was going to say more then three words in one breath? Unbelievable. Squall stepped up the mike and looked calmly at the scene before him.  
  
"During the mission, I won't deny it, the Vernery General lured me away with a false message, however, reported by the other SeeDs, I was informed, that just before the attack, they were gassed and lost conscious. Which meant Trabia's defenses went down a substantial amount, they had not only lost 4 professional fighters, but also the only ones who could lead them, I know for a fact, that if it weren't for one individual, Trabia Garden, and 12 of our students would be dead at this moment." Squall paused for a moment.  
  
"This student, not only gave Elite level orders for her first time on the battle field, she also protected her team from danger and kept a calm and cool head in the battle field, applying science, logic and common sense to the battle." Khain suddenly paled, she knew where this was going. "With her abilities and skills, she is a prime candidate as a SeeD leader. Therefore, I hereby announce that Khain Corona is my second in command." Cheers erupted as a shocked Khain was pushed up the steps and deposited next to Squall who nodded and fastened a pin onto her uniform jacket. Khain then had the mike shoved under her mouth and silence claimed the room again, she. . . . was speechless. The heck could she say?!  
  
"Uh. . . ." She stammered out, Zell smacked himself on the forehead. Time for some saving. He stepped out and smiled.  
  
"Why don't you tell us how you did it Khain?" Khain looked at him for a moment. "Like when you were ambushed on the plains by the Verneries, why don't you tell us how you escaped!"  
  
"Okay. . . I guess." Khain, for once in her life, was unsure. "Uh, well." She cleared her throat. "We had just given away our position when-"  
  
"Who gave away your position?" A voice chimed out from the crowd. Khain looked at the boy.  
  
"Oh, Sutta. She yelled out." Khain then mentally smacked herself on the head. 'Moron!' She yelled at herself.  
  
"Er. . . anyway, I don't think I should-"  
  
"So what happened after you lost your position?!" Another voice called out.  
  
"Er. . . they ambushed us and launched fire." Zell sighed.  
  
"You're too humble you know Khain? Here's what happened." He said and turned to the crowd. "See, there they are, making their way across the plain, and Sutta is just complaining about the weather, and everything possible! So when Khain tells her to be quiet, Sutta screams her anger, and gives away their position! Then, when the Verneries attack, Khain tells Sutta to get out of there and that if she doesn't make it, Akemi is in charge, so Sutta leaves, and next thing, Khain is diverting the enemy's attention to her so that Sutta can escape, but Sutta comes back and starts attacking, which I thought was kind of nice, until Khain yells at Sutta to get down because a Vernery was about to shoot her down! Sutta ignores her, so Khain tackles her down saving her from a bullet wound, unfortunately, the first scrapes her arm, and the second hits her ankle. At which I spring in the help them out. So after we reach the Garden, she's in the infirmary, and next thing I know when I visit her again, she's gone!" Zell smirked, probably shouldn't tell anyone about the graveyard thing.  
  
"I find her, and she's death cold! Ends up getting pneumonia! So she's in the infirmary again, when I was in the control room with Irvine and Selphie, that's when we got gassed and I don't remember much after that except telling Mat they were about to get attacked." Zell looked at Mat who grinned.  
  
"So after Instructor Dincht declares we're about to get attacked, on cue, we are, and boy let me tell you, what a mess! No one was working as a team, attacks were random, I tell you, the messiest strategy, if you can even call it that, I've ever seen! Then, suddenly Khain walks, out, skin paler then flour and she's only wearing a white shirt and black shorts! That as well as sneakers, I tell you, crazy! So first she secures the main door with spell casters and long range archers! Once that was done, she started giving everyone orders, and believe it or not, here's where it gets interesting! First she ordered that all healing spells be passed to one person from every squad and taken to the front hall where people could be healed, then she had runners, whose job was to assist all areas! I was assigned to protect the front door so I'm not sure what happened after that." Mat finished.  
  
"My turn!" Coroura said with a grin. "She took me with her and we ran into Yumae who was protecting her injured teammate. Khain took them down and we got a boy to take Inaba to the infirmary while the three of us went for the team leader, Khain's idea of course, at first the guy wouldn't call off the attack, but Khain really got him with her illusion spell!"  
  
"You're not kidding!" Yumae put in. Then put on a smug and cold voice like Khain's. "It's funny, I never knew humans could be so stupid. Of course, most humans don't realize there's a god in their midst." Yumae giggled. "And when that bullet went straight through the illusion's head! My god, I thought that guard was going to pee his pants!" Coroura grinned.  
  
"When we got back, she created a plan to light the old oil pipeline system to burn all the enemies outside Trabia to a crisp, and I'll tell you, jesus, I'll never forget it. That was one hell of an aftermath." He finished. Khain scowled.  
  
"Yes, yes, are we done telling my life story?" Khain growled out.  
  
"Not the half of it! For a list of your injuries, you got; a shot to the arm, a shot to the ankle, poisoned may I add, pneumonia, then another shot to the same arm! You're lucky you still have all your limbs!" Kadowaki declared. Khain groaned and rolled her eyes.  
  
"I wish I knew what I did to get the gods so pissed at me." She mumbled. Mat slung an arm around her shoulder and laughed.  
  
"You know we love you, heck! Even Almasy over there has a soft spot for you!" Mat declared jerking a thumb at Seifer who smirked in reply.  
  
"Hmph." Khain declared, unconvinced.  
  
"Hey Rinoa." Irvine called out chuckling. "Those two remind you of anyone?" Rinoa giggled.  
  
"Zell and Squall."  
  
"Dead on!" Selphie whooped out laughing. The two in question glared.  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"HEY! SELPHIE! RINOA! IRVINE?? C'mon you guys!!" More laughter. Khain, sick of it all, grabbed the mike and yelled into it  
  
"You! Start playing those instruments or I'll bash one over your head!" the band leader gulped and started. Once the music got going, so did the dancing. Khain smirked, with dancing in progress, hopefully they would forget about her and she could sneak off, she has just slunk back to the shadows, when Seifer grabbed her wrist and yanked her onto the dance floor.  
  
"ACK! Seifer, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" Seifer smirked.  
  
"Well, Quistis is dancing with one of the other instructors, and I need a dance partner." Khain flushed.  
  
"B-but-!"  
  
"You can't dance? I know, but doesn't mean I won't teach you." Seifer declared winking. Khain glared.  
  
"Seifer. . ." She growled warningly.  
  
"Calm down, a dance lesson won't kill you, and besides, what if you have to dance for one of your missions?"  
  
"Then I politely decline."  
  
"And if the entire mission depends solely on you dancing?"  
  
"Then I find some other way to make it work."  
  
"Khain, stop avoiding the inevitable, you know that I'm right."  
  
"And I damn you for it." Seifer chuckled.  
  
"Okay, now step first with your left, then right and spin, see? You're getting it! Left, right and spin!"  
  
"Dude . . . Seifer is teaching that girl to dance!" Zell cried out in shock. "And holy shit, he's smiling! NICELY!" Seifer on the dance floor grinned as he twirled Khain, the girl scowled. Once the song ended, she yanked her hand from his and walked off the dance floor.  
  
'Dammit, they just don't get it.' Khain thought angrily. 'I want so much to be able to have fun, and be like everyone else . . . but I just can't. I can't.'  
  
~ Flashback ~  
  
"Karou, watch yourself."  
  
"Aw you worry too much!"  
  
"Karou I'm serious. It's dangerous in this cave."  
  
"What? Just some big bats, those weird spinning things and whatever. We can take them!"  
  
"Karou!"  
  
"Chill out 'kay?"  
  
"Watch your step! This is molten lava, it can kill you with it's heat alone!"  
  
"I said chill out! Jeez, it's not like- wha-? WHAT THE???"  
  
"Karou! Get back now!"  
  
"Holy shit that's one big GF!"  
  
"Karou!"  
  
"Relax, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Bring it on Ifrit!"  
  
"Karou!!"  
  
"I said I can *grunt* Handle it! Relax."  
  
*Pitiful mortal.*  
  
"Wha-? HEY! LET GO OF ME!"  
  
"KAROU!"  
  
*You will die here mortal.*  
  
"HELP!"  
  
"KAROU NO!"  
  
~ End ~  
  
"KHAIN!" Khain snapped out of it.  
  
"What?!" She called out. Seifer raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Try not to zone out when you're walking, you tend to walk into walls that way." He said smirking. Khain shook her head one last time.  
  
"Er. . . I'll try to remember that." She mumbled. Then attempted to walk out of the dance area. Didn't work, stopped by another male, this time John, he asked her for a dance, smiling happily. Khain scowled and was about to refuse, when her voice spoke from the back of her mind.  
  
'Accept it.'  
  
'What?! Why?!'  
  
'Because I told you to, trust me, if you don't, there will be dire consequences.' Khain frowned for a moment, then sighed and glared at John.  
  
"One dance, then you get off my back." John grinned like a kid in a candy store and grabbed her wrist, he then proceeded to yank her off to the dance floor.  
  
~~~  
  
Half an hour and a violation of the 'one dance' rule 6 times later, Khain finally got off the dance floor growling angrily. She was almost out the door, when her voice kicked in again.  
  
'Stop.'  
  
'NOW WHAT??'  
  
'Turn around and go to Squall.'  
  
'What's with the delays?!'  
  
'Trust me.'  
  
'Trust you?! The hell I will!'  
  
'NOW!' And suddenly the screeching pain in her mind returned again, she winced.  
  
"Okay, okay." She growled. She spun around and walked up to Squall and friends, who were in midst of having an arm wrestling match. Mat was against Akemi.  
  
"Getting tired I bet. Give it up!" Mat grunted. Akemi smirked calmly.  
  
"Tired? I haven't even broken a sweat little boy." He taunted. Mat swore defiantly. Akemi laughed, then started using his full effort, Mat was down in seconds.  
  
"Hah, weakling." Akemi teased. "Anyone else who want's to lose?" He spotted Khain. "I'll take you on! Oh SeeD of mystical power." He declared playfully.  
  
'So?'  
  
'What?' The voice replied.  
  
'Do I accept or not?' She asked sarcastically.  
  
'I suppose, in fact, why don't you let me out, I'm eager to burn off some of my excess energy.' The voice declared, Khain obeyed grudgingly, her eyes turned full silver and her red hair flecked a bit with the same color. Khain sat down. Then set herself up.  
  
"300gil." Kay, using Khain's voice, declared.  
  
"Huh?" Akemi asked in surprise.  
  
"I wager 300gil that I'll win. Wouldn't want to go higher, might put you into the poor house." Kay taunted. Akemi scowled.  
  
"Fine! 700gil!"  
  
"Why not 1000gil?"  
  
"Done!" Akemi declared angrily and locked his hand with hers. Kay smirked.  
  
'All too easy.'  
  
'Oh boy. . .' Khain thought dully.  
  
"3! 2! 1!" Selphie cried out happily. It began, Akemi began pushing down using all his force against his newest team leader. Kay's hand went down ever so slowly.  
  
"Ha! You're going to owe me 1000gil!" Kay was silent, then she grinned evilly.  
  
"Think so? Maybe I should try now." Kay declared, her hand one inch away from the table, it suddenly stopped, and suddenly Akemi was being pushed back.  
  
"What the?!" He cried out shocked. His hand was against the desk side in seconds. Akemi scowled.  
  
"REMATCH!"  
  
"Okay then." They tried again, Kay won again. The third result was the same.  
  
"DAMMIT!" Akemi yelled out frustrated. Kay laughed.  
  
"It's okay, keep your money. It was just a joke Akemi." She declared, and still chuckling, stood up, letting Khain back in control.  
  
"I'll head back to my room now." Khain suddenly announced, and started to walk off, that is, before an explosion rocked the floor, Khain grabbed Mat's shirt as he pitched forward.  
  
"WHAT THE??" He screamed. Khain, face white, ran for the dormitories, she didn't know why, it was just a feeling, and when she got there, she nearly fainted. Her new room, was in flames. Quickly regaining composure, she launched a water attack at it, flushing out the flames. Zell and Squall appeared next to her.  
  
"Booby trapped." Khain declared as she went through the ashen remains, holding up what looked like a cracked crystal globe, it's sides scorched. "Set to explode 10 minutes after 1 am. Probably on the assumption I'd be in the room." Khain informed the others, she tried keeping her voice straight, but it quivered a bit, not from anger or fear, but a little of both.  
  
'I told you. . .' Kay whispered smugly, then her presence vanished. Khain scowled.  
  
"My guess is someone out there isn't too happy with what I did in Trabia, or they don't like my new position. Either way, it seems I'm now a target." She said softly. Squall nodded. He turned to Selphie and his group.  
  
"Selphie, Irvine, Seifer and Rinoa. Fan out, I want you to wake every student here and take them to the Quad, Quistis, you head to the training center and get those in the secret area. Zell, you are to keep a watch on Khain here, Mat, Yumae, John and Lyski, you come with me and we'll do a sweep of the area. Akemi, and Coroura, I want you to first go to the top floor and inform Nida there that he is in charge of protecting the bridge and to keep the speakers on at all times in case something happens, Akemi will stay with Nida. Coroura will go down to floor B1 and search the area. Khain, and Zell since you're watching her, I want you two to go with him. You know what's down there Zell." Zell nodded.  
  
"The remains of NORG." Zell replied softly, Khain raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I'll ask later." Khain murmured, saluted, then walked off. Coroura and Zell in tow.  
  
'Someone's after me, they want to kill me, now is it for SeeD reasons? Or is it for my personal past?' Khain wondered.  
  
Disclaimer: I own Sutta, Hiro, Khain, Mat, Akemi, Yumae, Inaba, and basically all the people who took the test. Squall, Zell, Quistis and others all belong to Squaresoft and whatever. 


End file.
